Four-day fair at DCC runs through Sunday, aiming to make Daejeon a hub for wood industry, timber construction and wood culture
The 2026 Korea Wood Industry Expo opened Thursday at the Daejeon Convention Center, where it will run through Sunday.
The opening ceremony drew about 200 attendees, including Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong and Korea Forest Service Commissioner Park Eun-sik, along with representatives from forestry and wood industry associations. Mayor Heo delivered a congratulatory address, took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and toured the exhibition floor to encourage participating companies and officials.
Organized by the Korea Forest Service and managed by JC Company, the expo spans more than 190 booths and features a range of programs — policy briefings, international seminars, corporate technology showcases and hands-on wood culture experiences.
The fair goes beyond a simple product exhibition, serving as a comprehensive exchange platform that connects policy, industry, technology and markets around the themes of wood industry, timber construction and wood culture.
Hands-on programs — including woodworking and timber-frame construction workshops and open lectures for university students — are also on offer, giving citizens a direct feel for the value and eco-friendliness of wood. The programs are designed to raise awareness of domestically produced timber and the importance of carbon neutrality, and to help wood culture take root in everyday life.
Daejeon said it plans to use the expo as an opportunity to broaden public recognition of wood as an environmentally friendly resource that stores carbon and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while strengthening policy cooperation to promote wood use and wood culture.
The city is also pursuing plans to hold the expo in Daejeon on a continuing basis, linking it to "Wood Day," a national observance that takes effect next year. Through this effort, officials aim to develop the wood industry into a future growth sector that generates new added value, and to build the expo into a regional flagship event representing South Korea's wood industry — a platform where industry, technology and culture advance together.
"I hope this expo becomes an opportunity not only for those in the wood industry but also for citizens and future generations to directly experience the value and potential of wood, and for industry, technology, policy and culture to advance together," Mayor Heo said. "We will make Daejeon a leading hub city where the wood industry, timber construction and wood culture all grow side by side."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
